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A 7 book review of Henry Petroski's text Invention by Design. This Duke professor of civil engineering, unlike many authors who write about technology, in his text Invention by Design, does not take his readers into the often obscure depths of technical definitions and convoluted descriptions that are best understood by fellow geeks and engineering major. Petroski, thankfully, takes a different approach that is quite accessible to the non-technological oriented reader who wishes to understand the modern technological world just a little bit better than they do. The writer discusses the topics of each chapter and these topic express principle themes of the book. No other sources cited.
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7 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khinvdes.rtf
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into the often obscure depths of technical definitions and convoluted descriptions that are best understood by fellow geeks and engineering major. Petroski, thankfully, takes a different approach that is quite
accessible to the non-technological oriented reader who wishes to understand the modern technological world just a little bit better than they do. Interestingly, and also intriguingly different, Petroski explains
technology and engineering design processes through the medium offered by analysis and the associated history of everyday objects. In all, he offers nine descriptions of engineering undertakings, ranging from the
simplicity of the paper clip to the technology of computers and the engineering principles behind bridges and architecture. In so doing, this author creates an enjoyable, informative book that the
non-technologically oriented student and/or general reader can enjoy and understand. From the perspective of his fellow engineers, he offers new perspectives on how their profession does what it does.
First of all, Petroski introduces his readers to the principles of design within the overall philosophy of engineering. As this suggests, Petroski is not simply concerned with design principles, but
also he wants his reader to see the connections between product and process; innovation and political and financial forces. However, first of all, he turns to history, as he points
out that "Engineering is a fundamental human process that has been practiced from the earliest days of civilization" (Petroski 2). In order to show his readers how engineering works,
he offers case studies. Petroski indicates that "Case studies of artifacts or of particular products, projects and processes enable us to understand engineering in the broad context in which it
is actually practiced" (Petroski 3). This statement underscores the authors principal theme, which is to help his readers see engineering and design within a broader context than is typically taken
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